BORNEO. 53 



fuch a manner are many of the towns oi Borneo conftriictetl ; 

 they rife and fall with the tide, which here flows but once in 

 the twenty-four hours, and that only in the day. At Ipring 

 tide, thefe towns on ih^Banjar river experience the rife and fall 

 of twelve feet. 



The whole coarts are in the hands oi Malayans, Moors, Ma- In-habitants. 

 cajfars, and even Japanefe, who have perhaps for centuries driven 

 the antient inhabitants into the interior parts. The aborigines 

 are of a black comj)lexion, a middle ftature, with long and black 

 hair, and generally better featured than the Guinea Negroes, 

 feeble in their bodies, and very indolent and inadlive. The 

 women fmall, handfome, and of a better color than the men. 

 Their general religion is of a mongrel kind of Mahometan'ijm. 

 Thefe maintain a feudal governmer.t under chieftains, mif- 

 called by our failors, kings. The feat of the principal is at 

 TataSf near to Bajuiar Majfeen, fome miles up tlie country 

 on the northern fide, and feated on a great river, which for 

 many miles is twice as broad as the Thames at Gra^-cfend, and 

 bounded by trees of moft ftupendous height. It is navigable 

 far beyond Bandar MaJJeen for the UirgeA fliips, and is greatly 

 frequented by the Cbinefe jonks ; the river is called China for 

 that reaibn. We are not acquainted with the length of its navi- 

 gation ; but it rifes in the very middle of the illand, and runs all 

 the way due fouth. On this river we attempted to form a fettle- 

 ment under the Mr. Cunningham we have before mentioned ; 

 but by fome imprudencies gave offence to the inhabitants, and 

 the greater part of our people were malTacred. The fame fate 

 has attended other fadories of different European nations who 



have 



